Re: GZG DS2 Mikko: Genres for DS2.

On Sun, 13 Sep 1998 tom.anderson@altavista.net wrote:

> in part, this is why the web is useful and what this list is for. if a
> supplement for (say) hammer's slammer's is written, and most people on
> the list who read/analyse/try it like it, then it becomes a de facto
> standard. you can print it out, along with some credentials to prove
> it's popularity, and take it along. hey presto, you have a
pre-writtem,
> pre-debugged, pre-approved quasi-official supplement to use. 

A very nice idea. It's just that while almost everyone can think of new
rules, very few people can or bother to properly playtest and analyze
the
new rules -- especially as far as to come up with a justified points
cost
(not just one extrapolated or pulled out of thin air).

Most net.addons to games seem to stall at the "try if you like it"
stage.

> this is because the HS SPDS is not a generic system - it is a system
> highly specific to its genre. that you cannot take an HS army to a
> bring'n'battle where other players are fielding vanilla armies is not
a
> fault of DS2 - it is impossible in *any* system, because it simply
does
> not make any sense. in the vanilla genre, GMS is useful; in the HS
genre
> it is not. both of these genres cannot be in use at the same time. 

I can not agree. Playing *in* the Slammers universe does NOT necessarily
mean playing *with* Hammer's Slammers (or the top-notch tech they have).

Take the indig forces in the final battle of The Warrior. They were
warring before either merc force showed up with powerguns and other
fancy
stuff. You might want to play pure hashemites vs. whoever-they-were.
These forces *did* utilize GMS, apparently to some effect.

Perhaps the change in warfare brought in by the appearance of the mercs
is
*exactly* the thing you want to "simulate", playing some battles with
indig only forces and then some with merc support added.

Are you suggesting that the first battles are to be fought with rules
options A and the later ones with options B? Where's the learning
experience in that?

No. The right answer is to properly cost the Slammers SPDS (and other
equipment). Yes, they are practically immune to GMS, but they should pay
through the nose for that ability.

Once you get the points cost right, there's no reason Slammers couldn't
play in a pickup game.

If they still get to face a GMS-only force, well, isn't combined arms,
variety and all that exactly what the realism advocates always keep
preaching about?

-- 
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